Update; I found out insurance is so much cheaper if an antique is restored and garaged, so I'm feverishly working on mine to make it look so, even if only temporary. I'm applying paint and wire brushing off any light rust, and hope to put on some stars and newer Superlug wheels and tires to make it look arguably "restored" to the point where if the insurance company comes in and takes their own pictures, I have plausible argument it is restored, even though not a body off the frame workmanship I see here so often. For now, I don't have the coin to strip it down and sandblast the frame the way I would like to. This painting is a rattle can job after wire brushing and cleaning. Nothing special, but it sure looks a lot better, for a start, then the palm frond painting in multiple colors I had on it before when it was purchased. The body is in very good condition. I hope to finish it tomorrow, then put it in the garage, where I can change out wheels and put on some star decals.
Interesting thing is, by far, the worst part of it all to wire brush down was the "inside" of the tailgate. It was amazing how many dings were on it. When wiring it down through about six layers of paint, I observed hundreds of dings, and wondered of how many transmissions, engines, tools, hammers, vices, trash, and whatever was just thrown on top of it with the tailgate down, and it being used by hundreds of different troops through it's 60 years, where they used it as a table top or slide, or whatever it was needed for.
That old tailgate has a lot of history to it. If only it could talk.
The trailer picture is a reminder of what it looked like with the palm frond painting when I recovered it from the coast of Georgia.
And I've done more painting since, on wheels and radiator and wheel wells, but have a full day tomorrow finishing it up.
I do plan on removing the hood completely and starting it all over. I want it to be Top Notch when done, so I'm going to strip it completely and do it all over again. Hopefully, next year I will be able to sand blast the entire thing down and start from scratch, but for now, it's one step at a time. All just a work in progress....